Chinon bottles are always a pleasant change of pace. These wines are predominantly made with Cabernet Franc, although a small percentage can be allotted to Cabernet Sauvignon. There's usually not a lot of verbiage on the bottle to identify the wines, which likely deters many people from venturing forth, and it's unfortunate because Chinon wines are quite lovely, and present good value for the money. Chinon rosés are excellent too.
Quick French wine terminology: Just remember Chinon = Cabernet Franc. Kind of like Cahours = Malbec.
This bottle was $13.89, which is relatively low priced for a Chinon, and I found it to be of very general good quality. The nose is smoky, a bit of campfire, with a little evergreen, some herbs. The wine is soft in mouth, juicy, yet with grip. Flavors are cherry, wild strawberry, mostly red fruit, with chewy tannins. The wine is dry throughout, with a super dry finish.
It's a classic Chinon, and a good starting point for delving into these wines. Overall, I found to be rather simple, easy to drink. I would expect more complexity and depth as the price climbs, but for under $14, this is a fun one, and as I said above, a nice change of pace.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 86 points
Costco item number: 1073421
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Alc. 13%
